Rescuing Finley (A Forever Home Novel Book 1) Page 19

  This was just crazy. Like a conversation two girls would be having. “Okay.”

  “Okay, you’ll do it? Or okay, now shut up?”

  Chris smiled. “The second one.”

  44

  It was Saturday, a regular workday for Kim Harper. Saturday was the day she scheduled her group dog training classes. She had two today, both before lunch. Then one private training class this afternoon. The dogs and owners for the first class should start showing up in about twenty minutes. She was back at her desk getting some things together when the phone rang. She was going to let it go to voicemail when she noticed it was Captain Bridget out at the prison calling. She rarely called Kim on Saturdays.

  “Good morning, Bridget. How are you doing this fine Saturday morning?”

  “I’m doing very well,” Bridget said. “You probably already have this on your calendar, but I thought I should call just to make sure. You remember that next Friday morning is our graduation ceremony for the Prison Paws and Pals Program.”

  Kim looked up at her wall calendar. She wasn’t thinking of it at this moment, but there it was. “I definitely have it down.”

  “Does that mean you’re planning to be here?” Bridget said.

  “I wouldn’t miss it. I love the graduation ceremonies.”

  “Good. So glad to hear it. But there’s a special reason I’m calling. Two reasons, really. The first is to let you know—now this is top secret; I haven’t even told her yet—but we’ve selected Amy and Finley as the winners of the Top Five Contest. That means Finley will be named the Top Dog.”

  “Really? That’s so wonderful. Especially when I remember the condition Finley was in the day I picked him to be part of the program.”

  “I remember you telling me about it,” Bridget said. “Although, I never saw him like that. He seemed pretty lively from the moment you brought him out here. And, of course, he and Amy bonded right away. They got so tight, I thought she’d never get him matched to a vet.”

  “I was glad to play small role in that. Remember he called me first? His name’s Chris, right?”

  “Yes, and he’s been a wonderful addition to the program. You can tell, he’s mad about Finley. I think he’s been out here every single day since he started training with us.”

  “Doesn’t he have a job?” Kim asked.

  “He does. But somehow he was able to get his schedule changed.”

  “That shows some serious devotion. How does Amy seem to be handling the idea of letting Finley go? I know that was something of a challenge.”

  “I think she’s doing okay. It certainly helps knowing he’s going to someone like Chris. And I also think it helps knowing she’ll be getting out of here just two months after that.”

  “Really? I hadn’t heard that. I don’t know her all that well, but she seems like someone who likely won’t be getting into any more trouble when she gets out.”

  “I definitely don’t expect to see her back here,” Bridget said. “By the way, she might be calling you sometime soon, or maybe she’ll just talk to you at the graduation.”

  “About what?”

  “Let’s just say after her time with Finley, Amy is definitely a dog person. To help her get over the idea of letting him go, I suggested after she gets out she should talk to you, let you help her pick out a dog that would be a perfect fit for her.”

  “I’d be happy to do that,” Kim said. “But I think there’s something more I can do for Amy than that.”

  “Like what?” Bridget said.

  “You know from time to time, when we can, we like to hire inmates when they come out of prison. Especially ones like Amy. We just got approval to add one more employee to my department. The money won’t be there to hire them for about a month. But I’d be willing to wait another month to get someone as skillful with dogs as Amy.”

  “Really? That would be wonderful. I don’t know Amy’s plans yet, whether she’s staying in the area. But I’ll definitely mention this to her. If she is planning to stay, she’ll be thrilled.”

  “Let me know if you find out that Amy doesn’t want this position,” Kim said, “so I can hire someone else.”

  “I definitely will.”

  Kim remembered something else Bridget had said at the start of this call. “Didn’t you say you had two things to talk to me about?”

  “You’re right. This is kind of short notice, so don’t feel any pressure. But I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind getting up to say a few words at the graduation? About Finley, I mean. You know, since he and Amy are the winners of the Top Five Contest, they’re the ones I’ll be calling on to do an obedience demonstration during the ceremony. I was thinking about what you told me about Finley’s original owner. Didn’t you say he was a young soldier killed in Afghanistan? I thought it might be kind of a touching story for people to hear how well Finley’s life has turned out, going from that tragedy, to becoming a shelter dog and now to becoming a service dog to another Afghan war veteran.”

  “You’re right,” Kim said. “That would be a wonderful story. Have you talked to any of the news people?”

  “You know, I always invite them to these things. Sometimes they come, sometimes they don’t.”

  “Well, they should definitely come to this one. But to answer your question, I’d be happy to give the background of Finley’s story. Just let me know when I need to get up to speak.”

  “I will,” Bridget said. “And thanks so much.”

  After they hung up, Kim sat back in her chair and remembered the first time she met Finley, the day he was brought in by that soldier’s mother. She had forgotten her name. Kim remembered how sad the woman was and how confused and sad Finley was when she walked down the hall and out the door. Then the terrible depression Finley went through in the days that followed.

  Thinking of these things, she couldn’t help but smile. For all the ups and downs and challenges this job presented, stories like these somehow made it all worthwhile.

  She sat up and finished gathering her things together for the training class. Just then, an idea popped into her head. She thought about it some more. It was a great idea. She wasn’t sure it could work. If it did, it would make the graduation ceremony even more special.

  She quickly created a To Do item on her task list so she wouldn’t forget. Then she had another thought. Was there any way to pull this thing off and make it a surprise?

  45

  Off and on over the weekend, Chris involuntarily found himself mentally reviewing the various signals Jed had shared with him on Friday, the ways a guy can tell if a woman was interested in him. He’d think of one—like if a woman’s body is facing you while she speaks—then start trying to recall different conversations he’d had with Amy recently.

  He didn’t want to put too much stock in it because it came, after all, from Jed. But that didn’t necessarily mean it was bad info; Jed said he got it from Google. The thing was, with each signal he could remember he could also remember Amy doing that very thing when they were together.

  Was it possible? Was she interested in him, as more than just a guy who’d soon become Finley’s new owner? And if she was, how did he feel about that? He wasn’t sure. He certainly liked her, and really enjoyed being around her. And Jed had a point about the fact that she already knew all about Chris’s missing leg and his PTSD issues. It didn’t seem to bother her even a little bit. The problem was, Chris had completely written off the idea about ever being romantically involved with anyone until he got straightened out somehow.

  But that was kind of what was going on now, wasn’t it? Ever since he’d begun to pursue getting Finley, his life really had begun a new direction. He still had panic attacks sometimes when he was on his own, and occasionally still had nightmares. But there it was…sometimes…occasionally. They weren’t happening as often as before. They didn’t last as long. And they didn’t seem as intense. Or maybe they didn’t seem as intense because he had something new going on in his life. Something p
ositive. Something that gave him hope.

  That something was Finley, pure and simple.

  Chris couldn’t wait to bring him home for good. Not seeing him all weekend felt almost unbearable. But he had to admit, this past weekend he had been thinking about Amy almost as much. And thinking about her also made him feel good.

  Maybe he was ready then. Maybe Jed was right.

  He was thinking about all this as he drove the now familiar route off the main road and around the prison property. Out the window to his right were the various prison buildings all enclosed behind that ominous triple-barbed-wire fence. Up ahead, he saw the separate section of the prison where the Prison Paws and Pals Program was housed. Where Amy and Finley lived. Amy said they called them dorm rooms, and these buildings really did resemble an educational facility more than a prison.

  It was Monday. Friday was graduation day. As happy as he was that he’d finally get to bring Finley home for good, it also made him happy to know Amy would be released from this place two months from now. He wondered what her plans were once that happened. They had never really talked about it before. All he knew was she said she’d need to start over. And that she didn’t expect to have anyone from her family there to meet her.

  Maybe he’d work up the nerve to ask her about it today.

  The training session that morning had gone smoothly. Amy tried to keep her mind on the things at hand, not on the fact that this was the last week she would be with Finley…and with Chris. It was less than a week; really, after today they were only four days left.

  They were headed outside now, which was how they usually spent their remaining time together before Chris had to go back to work.

  “You want me to take him?” Chris asked. “Let him have a chance to go the bathroom?”

  “Sure. I’ll go stake a claim on our picnic table.” As she handed the leash to Chris, their hands overlapped a few moments. Was that…did he just…? No, it couldn’t be. She was certainly reading more into it than it was. But it felt like Chris’s hand had lingered in hers a little longer than usual, longer than necessary.

  She watched him lead Finley around the border of the fence. Finley was so happy whenever Chris was around. And why shouldn’t he be? That had been the goal for all her efforts. As much as she hated the thought of losing Finley, she was glad he would be in such good hands. It was abundantly clear, Chris loved Finley as much as she did.

  After he walked a few yards, Chris looked back at her. Was that unusual? Did he always do that? He probably did. She was just becoming desperate, hoping to see something she wanted to see. She had known for a couple of weeks now, her feelings for Chris were taking on a life of their own. At first, she figured it was simply the fact that Chris and Finley were connected now. Her interest in him, as well as any desire to stay connected with them after this was over, was linked to her desire to stay connected with Finley.

  But that wasn’t true anymore. And she knew it. She didn’t want to lose either one of them.

  After Finley had finished, Chris walked him back to the table. Today, she was sitting on top of the table. Chris sat up there with her. Finley sat on the ground between them. She pulled a treat out of her pocket and handed it to him. The look on his face seem to say thank you. He continued looking at her for a moment then at Chris, then back at her. Now he wore that contented look that resembled a smile.

  “I missed you guys over the weekend,” Chris said. “I used my spare time to get Tom’s office ready for Finley’s arrival. That helped some. It’s all ready for him now.”

  Did he just say, you guys? “Tom’s office? Isn’t that your boss?”

  “He is. But he’s been totally supportive. Turns out, he’s a dog lover. I set up a crate for Finley in Tom’s office, but Tom’s even hinted he’ll probably let him out whenever he’s there.” After he said this, he scooted a little closer to her.

  She wasn’t sure why, but she certainly wasn’t going to move further away. “That’s amazing how much support you’re getting at work.”

  “I know,” Chris said. “It’s not just from Tom. Even the owner of the golf course. He’s a retired colonel. Most of the guys I work with are vets, and several of them have PTSD issues.” Chris reached down and patted Finley’s head. “This guy here will probably steal their hearts inside of a week.”

  “It’s really great how this has worked out,” she said. “I couldn’t have wished for a better situation for Finley. And if I have to let him go, I’m glad it’s to you.” Suddenly and without warning, tears welled up in her eyes. She tried blinking them back, but she could tell it wasn’t going to work. A few tears slipped down her left cheek. Finley instantly moved close to her, as close as he could without jumping into her lap. She was about to apologize and wipe her face with her sleeve.

  But Chris beat her to it. He put his hand on that side of her face and gently wiped the tears away with his thumb. “That’s okay, Amy. I know how much you love him. You’ve had him so much longer than me, but I totally get what you’re feeling right now.”

  “I’m sorry. I appreciate how kind you’re being about this, but I don’t want to make you feel bad. This is a good thing, and Friday’s gonna be a great day. I wish I could say these are happy tears. Maybe half of them are.”

  “I understand. But let’s change the subject for a minute, if you don’t mind.”

  “Yeah, let’s.”

  “You’re getting out of here in two months, right?”

  “From Friday,” she said.

  “Maybe you told me this before, but I was wondering if you’ve made any plans yet? You know, what you’re going to do after you get out?”

  “Not really. Some people have family or loved ones waiting for them when they get out, and they’re the ones who help the inmates transition. But from what Miss Bridget told me, half of them are like me. Kind of burned their family bridges, so to speak. She said there’s a bunch of different programs I can look into for help, some of them run by churches. And some halfway houses I can stay at. Apparently, there’s some government programs that might help me for a little while, too. I haven’t really looked into everything yet. Guess I better start getting on that pretty soon.”

  “So, it sounds like you’re not planning on leaving the area then?”

  “No. At least not for a while.”

  Chris didn’t say anything back for a moment. But he was smiling, and he had this look in his eye. Then he said, “I’m glad.”

  46

  After Chris had said goodbye, Amy headed back inside with Finley. She saw Miss Bridget just inside the door. She was looking right at Amy, like she had something to say. Amy might have worried except the expression on her face seemed pleasant. Amy stepped closer to her. “Did you want to see me?”

  Miss Bridget looked around as if making sure no one else was nearby. “Not here. Why don’t you put Finley back in his crate then come by my office.

  “Alright,” Amy said. “He’s probably ready for a nap anyway.”

  Miss Bridget turned and walked down the hall. Amy headed toward her dorm room. What in the world was going on? It didn’t seem like she was in any trouble. Once inside her room, Amy opened Finley’s crate door, and he happily walked inside, circled once and laid down. Amy handed him a treat through the bars. “You get a head start on your nap, and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  His tail thumped on the floor in reply.

  Amy slipped out into the hallway and turned toward Miss Bridget’s office. When she got there, the door was closed. She knocked.

  “Come in.”

  Amy peeked her head inside. “It’s me.”

  “I hoped it was. Come on in, close the door and have a seat.”

  Whatever it was, Miss Bridget had a big smile on her face now. Amy did as she was told.

  “How are things going with Chris? He seems like he’s really catching on.”

  “They’re going great. I don’t see how they could be going any better.” Well, Amy could think of o
ne way.

  “And how are you doing about the idea of releasing Finley to Chris? Now that we’re getting so close?”

  Amy inhaled deeply. “I know. It’s SO close. I guess I’m doing okay. To be honest, I’m trying not to think about it.”

  “Well, you’ve got to be happy about where Finley’s going.”

  “I am. Chris is a perfect fit. Finley loves him, and he adores Finley. And it’s already clear, Finley’s making a huge difference in Chris’s life. He talks about it every day.”

  “I can tell. It shows on his face.”

  Could we please change the subject? Amy thought.

  “Well,” Miss Bridget said, “Let’s get to why I asked you here.”

  Yes, let’s.

  She held up a sheet of paper. “You know what this is?”

  Amy shook her head no.

  “These are the final scores for the Top Five Contest. All the girls did a great job, especially the trainers who made it into the Top Five. But after all the results were added up, guess which dog and which trainer came out on top?”

  What was she talking about?

  “It’s you, Amy! You and Finley! You guys won!”

  “What?”

  “You won the Top Five contest. You and Finley. And that means you two will be the ones giving the big demonstration at the graduation ceremony Friday.”

  She said this second part like it was a big deal. But Amy had never even been to a graduation ceremony before. This was the first time she’d ever even trained a dog. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “You don’t have to say anything. But let me say, we have all been so impressed with how well you’ve done in this class. It’s hard to believe you’ve never trained dogs before.”

  “I’ve never even owned a dog before.”

  “That just proves our point. You’re a natural.”

  “Isn’t that going to cause some…tension with the other girls in the program? I mean, if we win? Especially since I’m so new.”